Was Sears, Roebuck & Co in Chicago, Illinois a somewhat common shipping destination circa 1900 for slower selling top break revolvers in the what we now refer to as the antique pre 1899 category of revolvers? Such as slower selling, at that time, models, such as the .44 Double Action Frontier Model? Hypothesis: Sears, Roebuck & Co purchased these in bulk, paying full or possibly discounted prices, for nationwide distribution by mail order through their catalogue.
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Sears, Roebuck & Co, Chicago, IL as shipping destination, 44 DA Frontier, Others?
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deadin
US Veteran
My .44 DA Frontier was shipped to Montgomery Wards in Chicago on 12/31/1900.
It was purchased (mail order?) by a farmer/rancher living in Fall River County, South Dakota. It ended up in the possession of his son who was a Sp American War vet. I purchased it from his daughter probably 10-15 years ago.
I had hopes it had seen service in the SAW, but it was not to be.
It was purchased (mail order?) by a farmer/rancher living in Fall River County, South Dakota. It ended up in the possession of his son who was a Sp American War vet. I purchased it from his daughter probably 10-15 years ago.
I had hopes it had seen service in the SAW, but it was not to be.
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Major Distributor sales
Right down my alley on this one.
I really enjoy researching Major Distributor stuff.
They were always assigned the task of unloading "Surplus" items. That dates back to Post Civil War and way beyond the turn of the Century. Always using Market Ploys with their fancy wording. Listing 10 year discontinued stock as a "NEW MODEL"...Very common market ploy of that Era. See photo's of long Surplus stock listed way post 1900 as New Models. "GENUINE" Smith and Wessons. "NEW MODEL".... LOL. (1920?) It's comical but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do so sell the stuff. Reminds me of a used car salesman.
NO gun was exempt. I've even seen Colt Dragoons, Remingtons, Civil War pistols, sold in a 1907 Distributor pocket catalog often even with a shoulder stock! Surplus? That's like almost 50 years Surplus.... I have no idea where they found that stuff but obviously it was stored somewhere for a long time! Sounds like something the Military would do.
Murph
Right down my alley on this one.
I really enjoy researching Major Distributor stuff.
They were always assigned the task of unloading "Surplus" items. That dates back to Post Civil War and way beyond the turn of the Century. Always using Market Ploys with their fancy wording. Listing 10 year discontinued stock as a "NEW MODEL"...Very common market ploy of that Era. See photo's of long Surplus stock listed way post 1900 as New Models. "GENUINE" Smith and Wessons. "NEW MODEL".... LOL. (1920?) It's comical but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do so sell the stuff. Reminds me of a used car salesman.
NO gun was exempt. I've even seen Colt Dragoons, Remingtons, Civil War pistols, sold in a 1907 Distributor pocket catalog often even with a shoulder stock! Surplus? That's like almost 50 years Surplus.... I have no idea where they found that stuff but obviously it was stored somewhere for a long time! Sounds like something the Military would do.
Murph
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opoefc
US Veteran
Don't forget Bannermans. There was no end to overuns of gun productions that wound up at Bannerman's Island. Roy Jinks has a crate of a doz. Schofields, recrated by Bannermans but still in their original grease, probably bought by Bannermans from surplus sales of the Schofields around the turn of the century. He uses it as a foot rest while sitting at D.B.Wesson's desk in his gun room! Ed.
The reason for this thread is that I own two .44 DA Frontier revolvers and both shipped to Sears, Roebuck & Co in Chicago; one shipped in 1900 and the other shipped in 1901. So the question was is this merely a coincidence or the potential commonality of such a shipping destination made the odds high that both revolvers shipped to the same destination in a short time frame.
Books
SWCA Member
I have a DA 4th model .38 (Nickel, 6" barrel & red grips) that letters as going to Belknap Hardware, Louisville, Kentucky in 1901.
I am told that Belknap was as big as Sears at the time. They did have their own tool line.
Books
I am told that Belknap was as big as Sears at the time. They did have their own tool line.
Books
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I've never heard of a Smith & Wesson going directly to Sears, but I'm not the least bit surprised. I have a .44 Double Action that went to Montgomery Ward in Chicago in 1892, which is not all that different.
Chicago was very much on the edge of the frontier at that time, and I could easily imagine a lot of people buying up these big guns with illusions of adventure in their minds. I don't know if Sears did any wholesaling, but it's also possible that they figured they could sell these to local retailers (or directly to customers in the more rural communities). After all, they were in the mail order business by then.
Whatever would make them a buck is what they were always chasing after, and if their buyers thought that there was a market for these, then they would have undoubtedly ordered them.
Mike
Chicago was very much on the edge of the frontier at that time, and I could easily imagine a lot of people buying up these big guns with illusions of adventure in their minds. I don't know if Sears did any wholesaling, but it's also possible that they figured they could sell these to local retailers (or directly to customers in the more rural communities). After all, they were in the mail order business by then.
Whatever would make them a buck is what they were always chasing after, and if their buyers thought that there was a market for these, then they would have undoubtedly ordered them.
Mike
deadin
US Veteran
I didn't know that S&W made a 5 shot .44 DA Frontier???
(See #8123 below...)
(See #8123 below...)
THE PILGRIM
Member
Would not surprise me!
At one time Sears sold more Firearms than any vendor in the US.
Once I bought a LH Savage Model 110 from a dealer in Chicago.
When I got it the original box from Savage was addressed to Sears.
Apparently dumped off as excess inventory.
At one time Sears sold more Firearms than any vendor in the US.
Once I bought a LH Savage Model 110 from a dealer in Chicago.
When I got it the original box from Savage was addressed to Sears.
Apparently dumped off as excess inventory.
In going over shipping destinations, I've found hundreds of "Sears" destinations. These were direct shipments, not surplus sales. As others have said, Sears and Montgomery, Ward were large buyers.
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deadin
US Veteran
The real bargain in that ad is the postage.... 25 cents in 1900 calculates to about $7.50 in todays money.
Many forms of "Surplus Stock"
Don,
To me the term "Surplus" can come in many forms. Sometimes even the Major Distributor can generate "Surplus" stock on hand. Basically resulting from either "Buying or Manufacturing" too many of any given item.
Some folks define Surplus as only applicable when a New Model or variation is manufactured and you still have the Old model on hand? I don't know any more than the next guy but to me if you have a significant amount of older guns at the factory that have not sold? Then you sell them in bulk to a Major Distributor to sell them? That to me is Surplus Stock. (See Photo 1) Written clearly in a 1902 Distributor catalog?
I have several Distributor catalogs that date back to 1876 and literally all of them list Surplus items for sale with a very clear and written claim that they purchased a "LARGE Quantity" of OLD Stock and are now selling them at a "BARGIN" price... That to me means the items are Surplus but I could be wrong....Maybe it's just another Market Ploy? I Don't know.
When we cross reference the date of the catalog and the known date the guns were discontinued? It can be over 10 years later so I'm thinking the items (guns) are Surplus.
**** Check out that line for the Hammerless revolvers: "A thing of beauty is a Joy forever"? That's a new one on me. Classic. That line was definitely written for collectors!
Murph
Don,
To me the term "Surplus" can come in many forms. Sometimes even the Major Distributor can generate "Surplus" stock on hand. Basically resulting from either "Buying or Manufacturing" too many of any given item.
Some folks define Surplus as only applicable when a New Model or variation is manufactured and you still have the Old model on hand? I don't know any more than the next guy but to me if you have a significant amount of older guns at the factory that have not sold? Then you sell them in bulk to a Major Distributor to sell them? That to me is Surplus Stock. (See Photo 1) Written clearly in a 1902 Distributor catalog?
I have several Distributor catalogs that date back to 1876 and literally all of them list Surplus items for sale with a very clear and written claim that they purchased a "LARGE Quantity" of OLD Stock and are now selling them at a "BARGIN" price... That to me means the items are Surplus but I could be wrong....Maybe it's just another Market Ploy? I Don't know.
When we cross reference the date of the catalog and the known date the guns were discontinued? It can be over 10 years later so I'm thinking the items (guns) are Surplus.
**** Check out that line for the Hammerless revolvers: "A thing of beauty is a Joy forever"? That's a new one on me. Classic. That line was definitely written for collectors!
Murph
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deadin
US Veteran
A thing of beauty is a joy forever." John Keats (1795-1821 ...
"A THING of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never. Pass into nothingness; but still will keep. A bower quiet for us, and a sleep. Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing."
Kind of fits......
"A THING of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never. Pass into nothingness; but still will keep. A bower quiet for us, and a sleep. Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing."
Kind of fits......
My great great grandparents bought a house from Sears and Roebuck, it was shipped by rail with a crew around the turn of the previous century, nice two story clapboard Cape Cod style with covered front porch. My mother was born in that house in '29. It still sits where it was erected, after four generations of my family the family homestead was sold out of family.
Sears was the Amazon of its day back in the early 20th century. The Sears catalog was the single biggest source of products for people living in rural America. Ironically, Sears dropped their catalog to concentrate on brick-and-mortar the same year that Amazon was started. Talk about bad timing!
browningcollector
Member
If Sears would have dropped the catalog and gotten into internet selling, they would probably be around today
Kelly
Absolutely! They had the distribution infrastructure that Amazon is only now building. Amazon would still be an online bookstore like when it started out, and Sears would be selling everything that Amazon does today. Instead, they bet that brick-and-mortar was the future.
Murph
I'd have to check to see how many were sold to Sears of a period of time to say they sold them as surplus. I haven't seen a large number sold to them at one time.
Major Distributor Market Ploy?
Thanks Don,
I guess that sinks my theory then. Just another Market Ploy on the Part of the "Sales Pitch" of the Major Distributor! Maybe the only common denominator of the Major Distributor is the common line of BS?
Murph
Thanks Don,
I guess that sinks my theory then. Just another Market Ploy on the Part of the "Sales Pitch" of the Major Distributor! Maybe the only common denominator of the Major Distributor is the common line of BS?
Murph
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